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Accidents · NTSB WPR22LA083 · Final report

Beech F33A accident near Williams, Arizona, January 26, 2022

On January 26, 2022 at about 5:55 pm local time, a 1975 Beech F33A, registered N1HH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Williams, Arizona (H A Clark Meml Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The pilot’s activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an excess amount of fuel to the engine and a total loss of engine power.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
January 26, 2022 · about 5:55 pm local time
Place
Williams, Arizona · H A Clark Meml Fld · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person had minor injuries.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Beech F33A, built 1975 · all F33As on the register
Registration
N1HH · no longer on the register · serial CE-611
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot reported that, during previous flights, he had observed overheating of two of the engine cylinders, and activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump had worked to resolve the overheating. Shortly after takeoff on the accident flight, the pilot observed cylinder heating and activated the boost pump, after which the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open desert field. The airplane landed hard and impacted vegetation during the landing roll, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Data retrieved from the airplane’s engine monitoring system showed that the fuel flow rate increased from 23.4 gallons per hour (gph) to 28.7 gph, with a peak fuel flow of 30.8 gph, followed by a sudden decrease. The engine manufacturer recommended that the fuel flow setting should be between 23.2 – 24.9 gph. Both the pilot operating handbook for the airplane and a placard on the auxiliary boost pump indicated that the pump should be off during takeoff and only turned on in the event of a loss of fuel pressure. It is likely that the pilot’s activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump resulted in excess fuel being delivered to the engine during the initial climb, which resulted in the total loss of engine power. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
  2. Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff
  3. Fuel related during takeoff defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Incorrect use/operation
  • Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot

Pilot

  • Certificate: private
  • Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: February 3, 2020
  • Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: minor injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 4,156 hours
  • Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 21, 2021; 7 hours since
  • Seats: 4
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: Continental Motors IO-520-BA (piston); 4,163 hours total

The flight

  • Departed from: CMR Williams AZ at 9:55 am
  • Destination: AO9 Mohave Valley AZ
  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 36, 6,003 ft by 100 ft

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: clear
  • Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
  • Observation at 10:55 am from KCMR, 2 miles away

Weather report (METAR): KCMR 261755Z AUTO VRB03G10KT 10SM CLR 03/M13 A3021 RMK AO2

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

13 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.

The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.

Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.